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報 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
報bàoto announce, to report; newspaper; payback, revengezg, 12 strokes, radical 土, rank #92830, Very Hard
bào(bao4) T4
  1. 1to announce, to report; newspaper; payback, revenge
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March 24, 2026

報bào(bao4)

The character 報 (bào) primarily means 'to announce' or 'to report'. It is commonly used in contexts such as news reporting, where it refers to newspapers and the act of informing others. Additionally, it can imply the concept of payback or revenge, particularly in more dramatic contexts.

Strokes12Radical土Frequency#92830DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of '报' as payback reflects a deep-rooted belief in justice and balance, often referenced in traditional stories and proverbs. This idea can be seen in popular narratives about loyalty and revenge.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large newspaper (報) announcing the news loudly to everyone. The character's radical '土' (earth) at the bottom could be visualized as a solid foundation of information, while the upper part signifies the act of broadcasting news across the land.

Meanings of 報

bào(bao4)
1to announce, to report; newspaper; payback, revenge
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 報

報Simplified
12Strokes
土Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 報

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Podcast: 報

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AI Study Notes for 報

Quick Contrast

报告 (bàogào) vs 报告 (bàogào): Use 報 (bào) for general reporting or announcement contexts, while 报告 (bàogào) specifically refers to a formal report or presentation.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 報 with similar characters like 告 (gào, to tell) due to their overlapping meanings. 報 is typically more formal in tone and is often used in written contexts. Common collocations include 報告 (bàogào, report) and 新聞報 (xīnwénbào, newspaper). Be cautious with the fourth tone of 報, as mispronunciation can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 報 is not in the official HSK levels, it connects well with other HSK words related to communication and information exchange. Focus on its use in phrases and compound words to enhance your vocabulary and understanding of context.

Common Mistakes

Learners may incorrectly use 報 in informal contexts where simpler verbs like 告 would suffice. For example, saying '我報他' (Wǒ bào tā) instead of '我告訴他' (Wǒ gàosù tā, I told him) is a mistake.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 報

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Etymology of 報

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 報. Pictograph of a kneeling person (卩) being forced by a hand (又) into shackles (㚔). Based on the original meaning "punish". The meaning later shifted to "revenge", "recompense", "report", and "announce".

Memory Hint

A hand 幸 cuffing 又 a criminal 卩, representing sentencing

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 報

Simplified form of 報. Pictograph of a kneeling person (卩) being forced by a hand (又) into shackles (㚔). Based on the original meaning "punish". The meaning later shifted to "revenge", "recompense", "report", and "announce".

  1. 1The giveawayA hand 幸 cuffing 又 a criminal 卩, representing sentencing
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 報? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 報?

Decomposition of 報

IDS Structure⿰幸⿱卩又
報Full Character
=
幸xing4
left
卩jie2
top
又you4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 報?

How to say to announce, to report; newspaper; payback, revenge in Chinese

“to announce, to report; newspaper; payback, revenge” in Chinese is報bào

The character 報 (bào) primarily means 'to announce' or 'to report'. It is commonly used in contexts such as news reporting, where it refers to newspapers and the act of informing others. Additionally, it can imply the concept of payback or revenge, particularly in more dramatic contexts.

When to use 報

Learners often confuse 報 with similar characters like 告 (gào, to tell) due to their overlapping meanings. 報 is typically more formal in tone and is often used in written contexts. Common collocations include 報告 (bàogào, report) and 新聞報 (xīnwénbào, newspaper). Be cautious with the fourth tone of 報, as mispronunciation can lead to misunderstandings.

報 or something close to it

报告 (bàogào) vs 报告 (bàogào): Use 報 (bào) for general reporting or announcement contexts, while 报告 (bàogào) specifically refers to a formal report or presentation.

What learners get wrong

Learners may incorrectly use 報 in informal contexts where simpler verbs like 告 would suffice. For example, saying '我報他' (Wǒ bào tā) instead of '我告訴他' (Wǒ gàosù tā, I told him) is a mistake.

Write 報

報

Practice writing 報 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 報

Words Containing This Character20
报告bàogàoto inform報告
报bàoreport報
报道bàodàoreport報道
报纸bàozhǐnewspaper報紙
报警bàojǐngto sound an alarm報警
情报qíngbàoinformation情報
回报huíbào(in) return回報
警报(fire) alarm警報
报复bàofùrevenge報復
报名bàomíngto sign up報名
汇报huìbàoto report匯報
举报jǔbàoto denounce舉報
时报"Times" (newspaper, e.g. New York Times)時報
报酬bàochoureward報酬
报仇bàochóuto avenge報仇
报应retribution報應
通报tōngbàoto inform通報
申报shēnbàoto declare (to customs)申報
海报hǎibàoposter海報
报导(news) report報導
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 报告 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 報

Common phrases include 報告 (bàogào, report) and 新聞報 (xīnwénbào, newspaper).

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